Still the
Benchmark, the BogaGrip Fish Landing, Handling and Weighing Tool (continued)

Real World Test:
We procured two BogaGrip units directly from Hi’s Tackle Box in San Francisco
for the bulk of our tests. This was after I had been personally fishing the Model 130 for
over two years but was unable to complete the review because of an unfortunate
incident on the Delta.

Pull back the
trigger and the jaws open

While fishing with one of our
readers, his first time fishing for Stripers with ripbaits, we were landing
fish every few casts and handing the BogaGrip back and forth to unhook fish. My
"co-angler" hooked into a nice fish in an explosive strike and in his excitement
shuffled around the back of the boat to control the fish, and in the process
accidently kicked the BogaGrip right over the corner of the boat. I can still see the entire event
unfold in slow motion in my mind, and for a split second I actually thought
about diving into the Delta, that’s just how fond I was of that tool.

My original
BogaGrip
before it was lost to the Delta

After we landed that fish the
angler that shall not be named turned to me and said he would replace the tool,
but his eyes widened when I told him how much the tool retailed for. For those
unfamiliar with the BogaGrip the $119 dollars may seem like a lot for a fishing
“tool,” but let’s take a closer to see just what the BogaGrip is all about.

The trigger is
easy to activate with just one or two fingers

Operation:
The BogaGrip features a trigger sleeve, which does not lock in the open
position, and allows for the opening of the jaws quickly with one or two fingers. This
makes it very easy to land fish as they get close to the boat, as long as they
are tired enough to be held in a controlled position. There have been times when
Stripers that I thought were tired out freaked out and went into another
prolonged run the second I bent down to lock on with the Boga. The grip sleeve
is covered with an EVA non slip material that makes it easier to hold the tool
even when wet.

In the Amazon
the guide prepares to land the fish with the BogaGrip

This grip sleeve is also what
anglers will hold when weighing fish. By holding the fish vertically all the
weight is put on the scale spring and anglers can easily read the scale which is
embossed on the main tube. In the lab we found the scale to be very accurate but
in order to use the scale for official weighing the tool needs to be sent to the
IGFA where it can be certified for world-record catches.

The BogaGrip
helps keep hooks away from hands when unhooking fish

In terms of applications this
is a great tool for practicing “catch and release” and significantly reduces fish handling
time.
Releasing fish is as easy as pulling back on the trigger sleeve and can even be
done with the fish horizontally in the water so they are not dropped and can swim
away naturally. The length of the tool helps keep anglers a safe distance from
hooks and the Boga acts as a solid anchor point helping make unhooking
double-hooked fish easier.